Your purpose in life should be something that defines not only who you are but also sets a theme for the kind of career or profession you would like to take in your life. In this manner, I as a trainer feel that it is particularly useful for women who aspire for careers or professions that help achieve self-actualization in their lives.

These days, a lot of young women are backing out of aspiring careers too easily. Having a job and managing work at times feel too difficult, highly impossible and even at times feel boring or more of an obligation. The cardinal rule to follow is that your work should never bore you! Hence, the careers women should be aiming for should be those that leave them excited and fulfilled despite having to fit into other roles in their lives. Carefully identifying and defining your purpose in life is crucial because if one you don’t then someone else or some other circumstances might choose one for you.

Your “purpose” in life should be:

1.      Passion

2.      Mission

3.      Profession

4.      Vocation

If any of the aforementioned elements are left out of the definition of your purpose, then it will remain weak and ill-defined. Where career aspiring women often fall short is choosing a career they make a mission creating a profession and vocation out of. However, what they fail to ask themselves is: is this their true calling? Do they feel worthy going to work? If one doesn’t enjoy work or is not their “passion”, the dedication towards the career will fizzle out eventually leading to low levels of motivation and eventually a lack of interest and commitment.

1. Do you love what you do? If the spark is not there and you don’t feel good coming back to work after the weekend, you and your work do not have a loving relationship. A woman needs to be able to jump over the highs and lows if she loves her career and would really like to make it work. A bit harsh but the same goes for men as well! Also do not be fooled by all that glitters for it is surely not gold. Look within yourself and reflect if you are actually able to love your work or if some factors in your life are, on the contrary, making you resent it. Choose a line or field that you could nurture while not resenting it or complaining about it.
2. Are you good at it? Ask yourself if you have the capabilities for the job or if you could do something else in a much better manner. Not everyone is a writer and not everyone can be a marketing director. Your career role should suit your strengths and your personality.
3. Are you paid for it? This is one of the harsh questions but one that should not be overlooked as it sets the ground for an understandable observation: one cannot hope to achieve bigger and better dreams or purposes, if they are not fueled by some financial backing or incentive. Be it a philanthropist, entrepreneur or a professional working for an organization, the financial incentive needs to be present for future investments, monetary motivation and also at times as a safety net.

Versuasion Pakistan – Fareeha Robert